WAYMART, Pa. — Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you – the items you buy at the grocery store are getting smaller.
"It is crazy! Everything in this world today is crazy," said one shopper. "Everything is expensive, more expensive."
Dubbed "shrinkflation," experts say it comes down to companies dealing with the increased cost of ingredients, packaging materials, labor, and transportation and then scaling back on the products to make up the difference.
"There's a lot of unfortunate series of events going on here, and it's just a snowball effect," said Rich Hayes, owner of Hayes Market.
At Hayes Market in Waymart, customers say they've taken notice of the shrinkage on items like yogurt, coffee, orange juice, and tissues. Some shoppers tell us they especially take notice when it's time to get to work in the kitchen.
"If you do a recipe, it's like, 'Oh, jeez, there's not enough in there.' That's when you have to do something a little different, so it changes your recipe. Also, you know, because of the amount that's in the package," said John Syrylo of Waymart.
"You use the same amount when you make coffee even though now it's 11 ounces instead of 16, so you're actually getting shorted," said Tom White of Elk Lake.
Customers say it seems like their favorite products have been shrinking for years but say it's only getting worse.
"It's been going on for years. I guess it's a way to cheat people if they can. The almighty dollar is preserved. You can't get anywhere," Syrylo said.
"It's been going on for so long that I guess it never sinks in. It's just the way it is," White added.
Store owners say they're doing their best, but unfortunately, they have to pass on some of the extra cost to customers.
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